Post Your Lab (PICS)

Hey Everyone,
I couldn't find any other thread similar to this after searching for a while, so I wanted to get one going. It would be great if everyone could post pictures of their current home or work lab (Big or Small). Hopefully we can get the CCNP/CCIE folks to post in here as well.

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

Webmaster

Thanks. I've set up several ISDN connections years ago, mainly for email, some for back up connections, 1600 series only. And even though I can imagine it's not a very fun topic for people to study, I kinda like ISDN. I've written some ISDN TechNotes for a previous version of the CCNA exam, of which especially the theory still applies: www.techexams.net/technotes/ccna/isdn.shtml
I agree they aren't a must for a lab though, and considering the cost of the sim, the money is often better spend on an router or switch. But, routers/modules with ISDN interfaces are relatively cheap, and like you said, you can still expect to run in to a ISDN connection, so it's surely a nice 'toy' to have.

bighornsheep wrote:

you would think you're paying for the equipment, but actually, all of those you see are free from Cisco.

makes you think what they're doing with the money....

The electrical bill maybe but if the profs and material is good it sounds like worth the money to me.

Paul Boz

here's my Boson Netsim CCNP lab (that I do my CCNA work on). It's got five 2950 switches, two 2600 routers connected via frame relay, and lets me test just about every routing protocol, as well as STP and intricate VLANs. It hasn't failed me yet

Orion82698

bighornsheep wrote:

Jammywanks wrote:

Nice lab bighorn... I just recently got mine through UPS shipping. Everything is good to go now. Two 1720's w/ 1wicT cards, back to back serial to one 2520 router cause it has two Serials, and then two 2924xl switches connected to each 1720 ethernet. I'm gonna see if I can get a small frame relay setup before I head off to bed. Getting the real thing makes learning this much faster. And interesting too. And everyone is getting the CCNA now. Makes the pressure much higher now that I'd have to rush to get CCNP. This stuff isn't easy to learn overnight. But I am definitely getting somewhere now.
.

heh, yours isnt bad either. Your cable management could use some work though....

I was going to get 17xx too, but I was thinking they're going to be hard to stack. Where'd you get your 29xx switches? Ciscokits also?

Your camera phone actually has pretty good resolution, what's the make+model?

---
As promised, I took some "real" photos, and not just visio drawings:

Also, I found some pictures of my school's GRAD LAB....only the 17 or so people enrolled in the grad program can use 'em.....I believe they have AT LEAST 17 different POD setups.

http://www.dg-network.com/misc/cisco2514/more/schoolLab/

HOLY CRAP!!! I bet it's warm in that room

DirtySouth

Netwurk wrote:

Here's how my lab looked when I first started it.

LOL...I hope you're keeping up on the 2500's oil changes.

Netwurk

Yup, the old routers need regular oil changes

Paul Boz

Here's my new lab. It's got point to multipoint frame relay connections with redundant dial on demand ISDN BRI to each remote site, running VLANS across the WAN, including access lists, some spanning tree environments, and all of that good stuff.

mgeorge

Added: I like your wooden rack Orion82698

This is what my lab looks like currently, I've invested about $2000 dollars over the past few years into it
I dont really use it any more lol, I'll probably end up selling rack time, so I can make my money back off it lol...

1x 2511-RJ 16/16
2x 2610 64/16
2x 2611 64/16
1x 3620 NM-1E2W 64/20
1x 3640 NM-4T NM-1E2W 128/32
2x 3524XL

Everything runs at least enterprise basic, frame switch running 12.4 ent+ I beleive.

*link dead*

Ill try to take some pictures and load them when I can ^_^

romain

mgeorge27 wrote:

This is what my lab looks like currently, I've invested about $2000 dollars over the past few years into it
I dont really use it any more lol, I'll probably end up selling rack time, so I can make my money back off it lol...

1x 2511-RJ 16/16
2x 2610 64/16
2x 2611 64/16
1x 3620 NM-1E2W 64/20
1x 3640 NM-4T NM-1E2W 128/32
2x 3524XL

Everything runs at least enterprise basic, frame switch running 12.4 ent+ I beleive.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3469/ciscolabwl6.jpg

Ill try to take some pictures and load them when I can ^_^

Really nice lab !

computerguy9355

if i were you guys, i would get a pix instead of a 2500 to connect to the internet.

router is responsible for routing, pix is responsible for firewall

anyway, i am at work right now so can't take any pictures.

but i got the following..

1 x ISDN simulator
2 x Cisco 2950 Switch
1 x Cisco 1900 Switch
2 x Cisco 2600 Router
2 x Cisco 1720 Router
4 x Cisco 2500 Router

For the Cisco 2500's, i dedicated one of them as a access server, another one as a frame relay router, and other two as a ISDN router.

pr3d4t0r

Paul Boz wrote:

Here's my new lab. It's got point to multipoint frame relay connections with redundant dial on demand ISDN BRI to each remote site, running VLANS across the WAN, including access lists, some spanning tree environments, and all of that good stuff.

This is awesome !!!!!

Nice work

Netwurk

Below is a diagram of my lab. The lightning bolts show the connections to a 2501 router that is set up as a frame relay simulator.

Paul Boz

pr3d4t0r wrote:

This is awesome !!!!!

Nice work

thanks, if you have the Boson Netsim software I can email you my topology file

sexion8

http://www.infiltrated.net/mydesk/homelab/CiscoLab%20016.jpg
@home:
2 2501's, 1 2524, 2 MC3810's w/FXS, 1 3620, 1 Cat5000, 1 Cat 2900, 1 Juniper Netscreen 5XT Ultra, Linksys, Netgear, Belkin crap. Not pictured: 2 3640's.

http://www.infiltrated.net/mydesk/homelab/lab_at_work/CiscoLab%20010.jpg
Lab @ work:
2 3512's w/Gigabit ports and cables, Merge 2000AF-RM ISDN simulator U and S/T interfaces, 2 3620's (VoIP/ISDN), 1 2620 (VoIP GW IOS), PIX, 1 2501 Router, 1 2511 (terminal server with 2 8 port breakout cables), 4000 w 8 Serial/ 2 Ethernet ports (Frame Relay), LS1010 w/MMF module, 2 4500-MMF ATM modules and serial and ethernet cards

Not pictured, a couple of 3640's, some Foundry's (we use these in our lab @ work sometimes)...

I've always been a slacker when it came to certs. I've never really needed them nor sought them. I went a few steps forward to come backwards now...[/img]

NetworkGod

i see you guys posted a lot of interesting pictures on here

some pretty routers up thurr

i was just wondering has any one tried dynamips sim???

Humper

bighornsheep wrote:

Webmaster wrote:

bighornsheep wrote:

Also, I found some pictures of my school's GRAD LAB....only the 17 or so people enrolled in the grad program can use 'em.....I believe they have AT LEAST 17 different POD setups.

http://www.dg-network.com/misc/cisco2514/more/schoolLab/

A late reply, but: wow

yeah....it's the grad lab at my school part of electrical and computer engineering.....12 courses each @ 4000CAD covers the CCIE R&S track.

only 40 or so people have access to that room besides the profs and GAs.....

you would think you're paying for the equipment, but actually, all of those you see are free from Cisco.

makes you think what they're doing with the money....

Ahh that would be the UoIT program ? I am going to kick myself in the nuts if you say yes..

mikej412

n3tw0rkg0d wrote:

i was just wondering has any one tried dynamips sim???

Yeah.... but we don't want it to get out until we unload all our old hardware on eBay.

There are several threads, but most of the links can be found in the consolidated post I made in the CCIE Sticky Poor Man's Guide to Building a CCIE Lab thread.

HELLZxPHADER has a couple servers with bunches of network adaptors (those funky USB ones?) up and running talking to real switches and routers. I haven't gotten around to trying a PIX-4FE network card in one of my Linux Dynamips servers yet.

bighornsheep

ModemHumper wrote:

Ahh that would be the UoIT program ? I am going to kick myself in the nuts if you say yes..

no... NOT UoIT...they have other stuff....suppose to have more to do with IT Security.

sexion8

Work Lab:

http://infiltrated.net/WorkLab

Pictures are so and so... Restated

2 3512's w/Gigabit ports and cables, Merge 2000AF-RM ISDN simulator U and S/T interfaces, 2 3620's (VoIP/ISDN), 1 2620 (VoIP GW IOS), PIX, 1 2501 Router, 1 2511 (terminal server with 2 8 port breakout cables), 4000 w 8 Serial/ 2 Ethernet ports (Frame Relay), LS1010 w/MMF module, 2 4500-MMF ATM modules and serial and ethernet cards

I actually have made another lab too with too much junk to list but its geared for CVOICE junk. Just waiting on this HP crap, then I will devote some time to that. Maybe 3 hours a week.

TheShadow

Nice pictures of the work lab. I notice that you have a Merge 2000 isdn simulator sitting there. Merge has long disappeared it seems and left their machines in limbo. You don't happen to have a electronic version of the manual do you or know of a source for one? Getting tired of making mine do things by trial and error.

Humper

bighornsheep wrote:

ModemHumper wrote:

Ahh that would be the UoIT program ? I am going to kick myself in the nuts if you say yes..

no... NOT UoIT...they have other stuff....suppose to have more to do with IT Security.

UOIT has network and security specializations. They offer a masters degree in Information Security which is awesome.

So what school do you attend that has such nick racks

sexion8

So this is my current lab set up I switched a lot of things up. I tried keeping the pictures somewhat identifiable...

http://www.infiltrated.net/Mar2520072.jpg
http://www.infiltrated.net/Mar2520073.jpg
http://www.infiltrated.net/Mar2520074.jpg

In order...

Cisco 7960 (4 total 1 pictured)
2 Cisco Netscouts (1 pictured (e1t1) GBSX not pictured...)
Pix 506e
2521
2610
2 4500M's (1 w/4port Eth, 4pt Ser... 1 w/TokR... Eth, etc)
3 3810's (all with DSP modules, 2 w/FXS modules, all with T1/E1's)
1 2524 2 serials & ISDN (I have all other modules)
1 2501
1 3620

... Fore ES3810 pictured I use with a Catalyst 5000 switch I have that I barely turn on... Too noisy...

Not pictured... 2 Juniper Netscreen 5XT's, 2 2501's, 1 3640 (too noisy)...

For those buying their labs... This is the breakdown of what I paid... (Not kidding either)

$ 0.00 7960's I got from work (I work at a VoIP company)
$ 40.00 Netscout's. I bought them for packet analysis for security stuff on the side... Each cost me under $5.00 I paid like 15 in shipping each
$150.00 Pix 506e ... Bought it from a client who upgraded to 515's
$ 35.00 2524 on eBay during xmas... Included shipping. I bought all modules during the same week. All three for $10.00 plus $5.00 in shipping... Router was untested and sold for like $3.00 (not kidding)
$ 45.00 for both 4500m's via eBay.
$100.00 3620 buy now during xmas via eBay. No modules... I have a WIC-T1 and 56/64k DSU I bought for both $70.00
$51.00 for both the 2521 and 2610 with shipping included. The seller on eBay saw memory errors... Would have helped to open them. They didn't have memory. Memory for both maxed out... $80.00
$25.00 - 40.00 for the 3810's.
$30.00 Catalyst 1924... For a lot of 6 Catalysts with cracked frames... Do I care if they're cracked? Nope. Do they work... Yup...
$10.00 Fore 3810 switch... Not a Cisco lab piece of equipment...

If I had to put a high amount of the amount spent for everything you see... I still got it all for under $800.00

Darthn3ss

so far:

1 2514
1 2520
2 2501
2 2504
1 1912
1 Linksys cable modem
1 linksys router/wap

planning to add a 2950 or two, a 2600 router, and in the future i'll add on more as i need it.

JCrouse

Heres my lab.
2x2621
1x2611
1x2521
1x2511
2x2950
1xPCI-ISDN Simulator(the shuttle box)

Darthn3ss

I like that. specially the dry erase board, might pick one up so i don't waste paper writing ****.

what did the ISDN simulator cost you?

JCrouse

its a VConsole one. I spent 175 bucks on from Ebay.

The whiteboard is great. I would say everyone needs them!

markzab

JCrouse...

Looks like a nice view...where was that vacation?

JCrouse

Thats Castle Neuschwanstein. Walt disney based his Disney Castle off of it. Its in Germany about 4hrs from where I live. Great place. Get with me in PM's if you want more info.

http://www.neuschwanstein.com/english/index.htm

JC

iproute

You guys have some slick and extremely complex looking setups. Mine may seem fairly rudimentary for now, but it grows by the day

Equip: 2x 2620 Routers, 2x 2950 Cats

sexion8

Setting it up is easy... The security rules kill me @ times. E.g. On router 8... Configure embryonic sessions for 132 seconds from R6 only at noon. Configure filtering without using ACL's from say router 6 to router 5[/img]

DirtySouth

sexion8 wrote:

Setting it up is easy... The security rules kill me @ times. E.g. On router 8... Configure embryonic sessions for 132 seconds from R6 only at noon. Configure filtering without using ACL's from say router 6 to router 5[/img]

Embryonic, huh? I'm gonna have to look that one up....